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Staunton Spectator: August 30, 1870 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Voters of Staunton
(Column 06)

Summary: Anonymous writer "VOTER" criticized the Stanton Council's efforts to reintroduce the bond issue for the Valley Railroad after the county already voted it down. Warned voters not to be taken in by Railroad men, who would plunge the county into irretrievable debt.

Full Text of Article:

We find in the papers of the Town an Ordinance, passed by the Council of Staunton, August 15th, to take the sense of the voters on the 17th day of September, whether the Council of said Town shall subscribe to the stock of the Valley Railroad Company the sum of $50,000 in addition to the $100,000 heretofore subscribed. A thoughtful man cannot read this ordinance without feeling that its adoption will prove ruinous to the interest, and fatal to the honor of Staunton. We had hoped the vote on this question on the 6th day of August, would have settled it, so far as the Town and county were concerned, but we regret to find it again forced upon the Town by those who presume they can carry any amount they may ask, under their coercive plan of operation. And by what authority this Council has passed this ordinance we cannot conceive. The action of the Council upon this question seems to be environed by difficulties and embarrassments. -- There seems to be a want of calm deliberation, prudence and judgment in the solution of this highly important question. The effort made to coerce the Town seems to have its effect upon the action of the Council, as well as upon the people. No worse effort was ever made to coerce a people into a degrading submission. If you don't vote whatever amount the Railroad authorities may ask and demand, we are taunted with, "Staunton will not be made a point." It would be monstrous if the property of this Town is to be held in the hands of these Rail Road authorities, and they to dictate their own terms. At pleasure, to vote the Town and county together. At pleasure, the Town is voted by itself. At one time $100,000 is demanded; at another time $125,000; at another $200,000; at another $400,00; at another $150,000, and we are told if this question is again submitted to the county $18,000 more will be demanded. Like the horse-leech, never satisfied, their cry is "more, more," under the taunt: "Staunton will not be made a point." This is rather mortifying to the property-holders of Staunton.

The Council is elected to avow the popular wellfare of the people, and they should not be influenced by these Rail Road authorities. -- Your action, on Monday night, the 15th inst., was published in the "Salem Ledger," and copied into the "Baltimore Sun," days in advance of your meeting. We give the Council credit, with a desire to do that which will promote the best interest of the Town, but we are forced to conclude they are acting too much under the influence and advice of the Rail Road authorities. We hold, the Council has no jurisdiction over this question outside of the special act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved June 27th, 1870. In pursuance of the provisions of this act, this question was submitted, on the 6th day of August, with the county, and the subscription was lost. There it must rest until another bill is passed by the General Assembly. If the subscription had been carried we hardly think it would have been contended the vote could have been taken over. It is contrary to the spirit of the act to re-submit this question. If therefore the Council exceeds their power and this subscription is carried, and the bonds of the Town sold to pay their stock, there will exist grave doubts of their legality. It is important, therefore, before we vote on this question, that we should understand with clearness and precision its purport and meaning. We are not satisfied with the vague and indefinite manner in which this subject has been hitherto treated. If this subscription is forced upon the property of the Town by an arbitrary will and without authority, we say to the bond-holders, take warning. The Town may adopt measures in the future in defence of its rights, and this flagrant wrong will be redressed if it be in repudiation. This dishonour of our Town must ever stare us in the face, for it must be apparent to any business man, that if the bonds are sold in the market to pay this stock, they will not net over 50 cents in the dollar and a horrible debt of $300,000 necessarily involved. Let us not depend upon blind fortune, but upon the counsel of wisdom and the lights of experience. Staunton is to-day the most enterprising and thriving inland Town in Virginia, and it is due to the rich and populous county of Augusta, and we must look to the county for our future prosperity, and not the building of Railroads, therefore we should at all times cultivate friendly relations with the citizens of the county, and offer all the inducements in our power to secure their trade and stand ready and willing to subscribe our proportion with the county in any great improvement, but not afflict and harrass ourselves with a frightful Rail Road debt.

VOTER.

[No Title]
(Column 06)

Summary: An article from the Enquirer urged all former Whigs and Democrats to unite in opposition to the Republican party and vote them out of power. Assured voters they could keep their old party labels within the unified opposition.

Origin of Article: Enquirer

Full Text of Article:

The desire of our hearts is the cordial union of Whigs and Democrats in earnest opposition to the corrupt party that now has the possession of the national government. For the present, at least, we have no other test of fellowship, except that, but whilst so holding, insist that the opposition shall extend to every type of Republicanism, extreme or moderate, in whatever guise or disguise it may be found. -- For ourselves personally, we claim the privilege of enrolling ourselves as Democrats, and of acting within the Conservative party as Democrats. To those who still claim to be Whigs, or who desire to be known by any other name than that which we cherish and honor, we are ready to yield the same privelege, inside the Conservative party, which we claim for ourselves. -- Enquirer.

[No Title]
(Column 07)

Summary: Proudly announced the utter failure of the Radical party to gain a foothold in the South. Ridiculed their attempts to maintain power through blacks and military government and predicted that more conservatives will soon regain control of their governments.

Full Text of Article:

Since the process of reconstruction commenced, says the Richmond Whig, the Radical leaders in Congress and all the power of the Government have been directed to the end of achieving Radical victories in the South. -- They have acted on the idea that the Radical party was the Government, and that all measures for building up that party, including force and fraud, were legitimate. They attempted to make Radicalism the test of patriotism and loyalty, and to place under the ban all who did not conform to it. To strengthen their party in the South, they gave suffrage to the negroes, and to clinch the nail, inaugurated military Government and created the Freedmen's Bureau. The negroes, being ignorant and inexperienced, they officered them with carpet-baggers and adventurers. They then set them to the work of making State Constitutions that should be in harmony with the principles of the Radical party. In one word, they resorted to all the measures they thought necessary to give ascendancy to their party in the Southern States, and to maintain that ascendancy for all time.

For a while they thought they had succeeded, and felicitated themselves upon their success. But the election of 1869 in Virginia was a stunner. It showed them that their cunningly contrived scheme had failed. We broke through their arrangements as if they were so many cobwebs, and succeeded in establishing a Conservative State government. After a year, North Carolina, with more to contend against than we had, has followed our example. South Carolina and Louisiana are organizing movements looking to the same result, and all the Southern States, that were so cunningly fixed up, are preparing to do the same.

It has become plain to the whole country that the Radical plan to establish and perpetuate Radicalism is a failure.

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: The paper reported that more than 75,000 African-Americans have moved to Washington, D.C. from neighboring states. "The great majority are living from hand to mouth, a burden upon the people and a nuisance. Maryland and Virginia are suffering for labor, but any attempt to send these people off, where they can be made serviceable and self-supporting is opposed by the Radicals."

[No Title]
(Column 02)

Summary: The paper complained that local voters are restricted in their choices for Congress because of the test-oath requirements for office-holders.

[No Title]
(Column 01)

Summary: William H. Waddell will open a school for boys on Fillmore Street on September 15th.
(Names in announcement: William H. Waddell)

Pic-Nic
(Column 01)

Summary: The Methodist Sunday School of Staunton will hold a picnic on Friday in the grove south of the cemetery behind Mrs. Allen's residence.
(Names in announcement: Mrs. Allen)

To the Ladies of Augusta County
(Column 01)

Summary: W. N. Hawkins, agent for the Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine Company, announced his intention to award a silver cup for the best piece of work done on a Wheeler and Wilson machine.
(Names in announcement: W. N. Hawkins)

[No Title]
(Column 01)

Summary: George Walton and John Johnson, two residents of Madison County who stole two horses from Absalom Koiner, have been arrested in Richmond. Mr. Koiner printed handbills in the Vindicator office that alerted the Richmond detectives.
(Names in announcement: Absalom Koiner)

Married
(Column 02)

Summary: Henry H. Varner and Miss Agnes A. Showalter, both of Augusta, were married on August 25th by the Rev. Martin Garber.
(Names in announcement: Henry H. Varner, Agnes A. Showalter, Rev. Martin Garber)

Deaths
(Column 02)

Summary: James Byers died at his residence near Parnassus on August 25th. He was 77 years old.
(Names in announcement: James Byers)

Deaths
(Column 02)

Summary: Dorcas Luella Whitzel, infant daughter of J. W. and S. J. Whitzel, died near Arbor Hill on August 22nd of cholera morbus.
(Names in announcement: Dorcas Luella Whitzel, J. W. Whitzel, S. J. Whitzel)